San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans EXODUS will release their new album, “Persona Non Grata”, on November 19 via Nuclear Blast Records. The official lyric video for the disc’s third single, “The Years Of Death And Dying”, can be viewed below.
Drummer Tom Hunting comments: “‘The Years Of Death And Dying’ started out as a poem, from the perspective of Death, being a thinking entity, always watching and looking for weakness and opportunity to come calling for people. A Grim Reaper story. We were losing legends: Bowie, Cash, Petty, Prince, Frey… the list goes on and on. Then we started losing family members and friends in our own orbit. Anyway, the title came first, then the poem, which became a song. I shared the lyrics with Gary [Holt, guitar], who helped inspire me with phrasing to finish it, and the guys loved it. The song is really long, and more legends kept passing right up into the moments Zet [singer Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza]was singing it, so I had to keep writing until I had enough to complete the song. We hope you enjoy our tribute to the fallen!”
“Persona Non Grata” is the follow-up to 2014’s “Blood In Blood Out”, which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers’ first release since the departure of the group’s lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve “Zetro” Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.
Literally translating to “an unwelcome” or “unacceptable” person, “Persona Non Grata” touches on themes of modern societal disgust and degradation. The band gathered at Tom Hunting‘s house in the mountains where they produced and recorded “Persona Non Grata” from three home-built studios . Steve Lagudi was at the helm of engineering while the band enlisted Andy Sneap of Backstage Studios to mix the album. For the third time in the band’s history, they returned to Swedish artist Par Olofsson to create the album artwork.
Pre-order your copy of “Persona Non Grata”, here and pre-save the album, here.
Gary Holt comments “After what seems like an eon, we now have the debut of our first single, ‘The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)’. I’m so jacked up for this and the release of Persona Non Grata! Let’s get the bloodletting started!”
“Persona Non Grata” will be available in the following formats:
- CD Jewel + Blu-ray Bonus Disc (Jam Camp!)
- T-Shirt + CD Jewel + Blu-ray Bonus Disc (Jam Camp!)
- T-Shirt
- Cassette – Tinted Red
- CD Jewel + Blu-ray Bonus Disc (Jam Camp!) Long Box (Decibel Magazine Exclusive)
- Double LP
- Black
- Red & Mustard Swirl W/ Black Splatter
- Electric Blue W/ Black & Bone
- Gold & Bone Swirl W. Black and Mint Green Splatter
- Green in Mustard W/ Red Splatter
- Mint Green & Brown W/ Cyan Splatter (EMP Exclusive)
- Purple & Yellow Swirl W/ Mint Green & Bone Splatter (UK Indie Exclusive)
- Bone & Beer Swirl W/ Red & Brown Splatter (Revolver Magazine Exclusive)
- Red & Mustard Swirl W/ Black Splatter (Rebellion Republic Exclusive)
- Blue Swirl W/ Bone * Black Splatter (U.S. Indie Exclusive)
- Mail Order Boxset – Limited to 2,000 pieces worldwide
- Orange, Red Swirl W/ Black Splatter
- 20 page booklet
- Slipmat
- CD + Blu-ray Bonus Disc
- Patch
- Flag
“Persona Non Grata” track listing:
1. Persona Non Grata
2. R.E.M.F.
3. Slipping Into Madness
4. Elitist
5. Prescribing Horror
6. The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)
7. The Years Of Death And Dying
8. Clickbait
09. Cosa Del Pantano
10. Lunatic-Liar-Lord
11. The Fires Of Division
12. Antiseed
